Ohio Bill would make walleye the state fish

CLEVELAND (WJW) – Lake Erie is well known for being the “Walleye Capital of the World,” bringing anglers from all over the region to Northeast Ohio for the abundant and tasty fish.

But believe it or not, Ohio doesn’t have a state fish. It’s something that’s bothered Parma resident Matthew Kowalewski, so he’s pushing for change.

“I am sad to say that we only stand with Iowa and Indiana as one of just three states not to have an official fish,” Kowalewski said to an Ohio House committee on Tuesday in Columbus.

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He’s now become the proponent behind House Bill 599 along with State Representative Sean Brennan of Parma. They both feel like this is a designation that makes sense and is long overdue.

“Hundreds of miles of coastline, 95 million of these fish reside here, it’s truly a state pride thing more than anything,” Kowalewski said.

He said walleye fishing is a billion dollar industry in Ohio, supporting bait and tackle shops like Shine’s in Cleveland.

“It brings in a lot of business for one, and it’s the most sought-after fish at this time of the year now because we don’t have a lot of perch fishing,” owner Mike Fedorka said. “Without walleye, we wouldn’t have anything.”

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Kowalewski is confident HB 599 will pass, it’s just a matter of time.

“Bills like this in the past have never even passed a committee meeting,” he said. “We had a unanimous yes vote on this, and it’s now on the House floor today, at least.”

HB 599 passed the Ohio House 93-4 on Wednesday and will now move to the Senate.

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